Tag: Ladakh News

WFI chief to step aside till oversight committee investigates issue: Anurag Thakur

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New Delhi: Indian wrestlers called off their protest late on Friday evening after a second meeting at the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur’s residence in the national capital.
The meeting lasted beyond midnight, following which wrestler Bajrang Punia announced to the media that the other wrestlers are calling off the protest after assurance of action from Thakur against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
The wrestlers have been staging a protest since Wednesday, accusing WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment of women wrestlers, sponsorship fund embezzlement, and athletes’ mismanagement.
“After receiving the assurance from our Sports Minister, we have decided to call off the protest,” said Punia.
The meeting at the Sports Minister’s residence lasted for more than five hours after the wrestlers — Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Dahiya, Deepak Punia, and others — reached at 7 p.m.
Thakur said that his Ministry have listened to the grievances of the wrestlers and steps will be taken accordingly, while adding that demands of the wrestlers will be taken care of.
“I want to thank all the players as they have provided us with valuable inputs and our discussions have been about taking forward the sports. We have seen changes in multiple sports federations in the recent past and this will be looked upon,” he added.
“The demands put in by the wrestlers will be taken care of. We will constitute an oversight committee and will announce the name of members tomorrow.”

He assured that an unbiased probe will be carried by the oversight committee on all the accusations levelled against the WFI and its President with the latter stepping aside from his post.
“The committee will investigate all the serious allegations, including sexual harassment and financial irregularities. It will be investigated properly and the committee will take further decisions,” Thakur added.
“The committee will also look into the daily affairs of the federation and the WFI President will step aside till the probe goes on. He will also cooperate in the investigation,” the Sports Minister confirmed.
Bajrang Punia also added that Thakur has also ensured safety to the wrestlers as he hoped that the committee will conclude its investigation in a month’s time.
“Thank you everyone for your valuable support. Hopefully, the committee will give results in one month and we are hopeful of an independent investigation. Our security will be taken care of as assured by the Sports Minister,” he said.
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#WFI #chief #step #oversight #committee #investigates #issue #Anurag #Thakur
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 21, 2023
Ludhiana court bomb blast case: NIA carries out more raids in Punjab

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New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted simultaneous searches at two locations in Punjab’s Muktsar Sahib and Gurdaspur districts in connection with the Ludhiana court bomb blast case.
During these searches, cash amounting to Rs 10,16,000, mobile phones, SIM cards and diaries with incriminating content were seized, an NIA official said.
The NIA on January 7 filed a charge sheet against five accused including a Pakistan national in the matter.
Punjab Police’s former Head Constable Gagandeep Singh, who planted the bomb at the court complex on December 23, 2021, was killed as it suddenly went off. Six others were injured.
The case was initially registered at a Ludhiana police station, but later, it was taken over by the NIA.
“During investigation, it has been revealed that Pakistan-based ISYF/KLF terrorist handler Lakhbir Singh Rode had planned to execute IED blasts at various locations in Punjab. In order to execute this plans, he, in association with Pakistan-based smugglers, recruited India-based operatives to smuggle IEDs and to carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and to strike terror among the general public,” the NIA said.
It said that in furtherance of the conspiracy, Rode, with the help of Pakistan-based cross-border arms-explosives-narcotics smuggler Zulfikar alias Pehalwan, Harpreet Singh alias Happy Malaysia, Surmukh Singh alias Sammu, Dilbagh Singh and Rajanpreet Singh, formed a terror gang to carry out blasts and smuggled weapons into India.
Rode used the smuggling channels of Pehalwan and his associates to deliver the IED to Gagandeep Singh.

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#Ludhiana #court #bomb #blast #case #NIA #carries #raids #Punjab
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
DCW chief molestation case: Accused AAP member, sting done to defame Delhi Police, claims BJP

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New Delhi: The BJP on Friday raised questions over DCW chief Swati Maliwal’s molestation claims, alleging that the person she accused is an AAP member and her “drama” was part of a conspiracy which has now been “exposed”.
Several BJP leaders hit out at Maliwal, an Aam Aadmi Party appointee.
An immediate reaction was not available from the AAP on the issue.
Maliwal, chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, had alleged that she was molested by a drunk man while on an inspection at night and dragged for 10-15 metres by his car outside AIIMS with her hand stuck in the vehicle’s window. The accused, a 47-year-old man, was arrested.
BJP leader Shazia Ilmi tweeted that Maliwal’s “drama” has been exposed.
“@AamAadmiParty and… did a sting to defame Delhi and its police and serious questions arise on its credibility. Is cheap politics legitimate on the serious issue of women safety? she asked.
Former DCW chief Barkha Shukla Singh said by indulging in such drama, Maliwal should not weaken women.
Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva said Harish Chandra Suryavanshi, who was accused of harassing Maliwal, is actually a prominent activist of the Aam Aadmi Party in Sangam Vihar.

Sachdeva released a photo in which the accused is seen campaigning with AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal.
Sachdeva said with the revelation of the photo and Suryavanshi’s background, “it has become clear that the incident was a conspiracy of AAP to defame Delhi internationally by showing the city as an unsafe city for women”.
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#DCW #chief #molestation #case #Accused #AAP #member #sting #defame #Delhi #Police #claims #BJP
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
Maiden joint exercise between special forces of India, Egypt underway in Rajasthan

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Jaisalmer: The first-ever joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army named “Exercise Cyclone-I” is underway in Rajasthan, according to an official statement.
The exercise which began on January 14 is aimed at bolstering defence cooperation between the two nations and focus on sharing professional skills and interoperability of the special forces in desert terrain while undertaking counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, raids and other special operations, the statement added.
This is the first exercise of its kind bringing the special forces of both the nations on a common platform.
“The 14-day exercise which is being carried out in the deserts of Rajasthan engages both the contingents to advance special forces skills such as sniping, combat free fall, reconnaissance, surveillance and target designation, sharing of information on weapons, equipment, innovations, tactics, techniques and procedures,” the release said.
The participants would also undertake joint planning and drills for special forces operations in a mechanised warfare setting as well as surgical strikes on terrorist camps/ hideouts to include sniping of high-value targets.
The joint exercise would provide an insight into the culture and ethos of both the armies thereby fostering military cooperation and interoperability to further strengthen the diplomatic relations between India and Egypt, the release added.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is scheduled to arrive in India on January 24. He will be the first Egyptian President and the fifth leader from the Middle-East to grace the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.

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#Maiden #joint #exercise #special #forces #India #Egypt #underway #Rajasthan
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
Dubai remains world’s most popular destination for holidaymakers

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Abu Dhabi: Dubai has been ranked as the world’s most popular destination for holidaymakers in 2023, according to Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.
Known for its luxury hotels, record-breaking buildings, traditional souqs and family-friendly attractions, Dubai retained the title for the second year in a row.
The winners are determined based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings provided by millions of travelers from all over the world.
This year’s winners were chosen based on the quality and quantity of travelers’ reviews of accommodations, restaurants and things to do at destinations around the world between November 2021 and October 2022.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, took to Twitter to share the news.
Sheikh Hamdan said the honor from Tripadvisor supports the goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai on January 4, to consolidate Dubai’s position as one of the world’s top three destinations for tourism and business.
“Dubai’s tourism, hospitality and events sectors have been at the forefront of a rebound and acceleration of global growth in these sectors over the last two years and will continue to play a key role in shaping their evolution in the future,” Sheikh Hamdan added.
Following @HHShkMohd’s ambitious D33 agenda, which includes making Dubai a top 3 global tourism destination, the city has retained its #1 spot in the 2023 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. pic.twitter.com/xBomXPf655
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) January 18, 2023
According to the latest data from the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai, Dubai received 12.82 million international visitors overnight between January and November 2022, which exceeds the 6.02 million tourists attracted by Dubai in the corresponding period in 2021.

During this 11-month period, 794 hotel establishments comprising more than 145,098 rooms opened their doors to guests, achieving strong occupancy levels of 73%, among the highest occupancy rates internationally.
Most popular travel destinations in 2023
In 2022, Dubai also received the highest tourism spending among all cities in the world, at 108 billion Dirhams (Rs 23,86,84,22,04,240), according to the latest World Travel and Tourism Council.

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#Dubai #remains #worlds #popular #destination #holidaymakers
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
Gujarat company MD moves court for pre-arrest bail in Morbi bridge collapse case

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Morbi: Managing Director of Ajanta Manufacturing Ltd, the firm which was given contract for operation and maintenance of a suspension bridge in Gujarat’s Morbi town that collapsed on October 30 last year killing 135 people, has moved a court here for anticipatory bail fearing arrest in the case.
Jaysukh Patel, moved the anticipatory bail plea in the sessions court in Morbi fearing arrest in the bridge collapse case, sources said.
The plea is likely to be heard on Saturday, they said.
Nine persons, including four employees of Ajanta Manufacturing (Oreva Group), have been arrested so far in the case. They included two managers and an equal number of ticket booking clerks of the Oreva Group that was managing the British-era bridge.
Patel’s name was not included in the first information report (FIR) filed by the police soon after the tragedy.
Police sources said they will file a charge-sheet in the case before January 30.
The suspension bridge on the Machchhu river was being maintained and operated by the Oreva Group as per an agreement signed with Morbi municipality.
Patel’s move comes even as the Gujarat government has issued a show-cause notice to the local municipality asking why it should not be dissolved for failing to discharge its duties that led to the tragedy.

A government-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) had cited, among other things, several lapses on part of the Oreva Group in repairs, maintenance and operation of the carriageway.
The lapses cited by the special probe team included no restriction on the number of persons accessing the bridge, no curb on sale of tickets, leading to unrestricted movement on the bridge and carrying out repairs without consulting experts.
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#Gujarat #company #moves #court #prearrest #bail #Morbi #bridge #collapse #case
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
Saudi Arabia restricts external loudspeakers in mosques

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Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has issued directives to restrict the use of external loudspeakers in mosques across the country, local media reported.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Dr Abdul Latif bin Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh has set the number of external loudspeakers at four which are only to be used in mosques to make the prayer calls.
Dr Al-Sheikh instructed all imams to remove excess loudspeakers, if any, from mosques and store them in warehouses for later use or give them away to mosques that do not have enough.
The minister’s directives come about two months before the month of Ramzan, which is expected to fall on March 23.
In 2021, Abdul Latif Al Sheikh, issued a circular limiting the use of external loudspeakers to only use the loudspeakers for Azaan (call for prayer) and iqamah (the second call for the congregational prayer).
He added that the decision indicates that “the loudness level of the devices should not exceed one-third of the degree of the loudspeaker device.”
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#Saudi #Arabia #restricts #external #loudspeakers #mosques
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
Jordanian court issues ruling in 2017 Israeli embassy incident

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Amman: A Jordanian court has ordered the Israeli embassy in Amman to pay 357,000 Jordanian dinars (Rs 4,08,32,055) to a driver who was shot and wounded by an embassy guard, in an incident in which two Jordanians were killed in 2017, local media reported.
Maher Fares Ibrahim, a Jordanian driver, had filed a lawsuit against the Israeli embassy, the subject of which was a claim for compensation for material and moral damages, an allowance for a period of disability and an allowance for lack of earning ability (permanent partial disability 80 per cent).
As per media reports, On July 24, 2017, Maher was at the embassy to deliver furniture, when the embassy guard killed two Jordanians, Muhammad al-Jawawdeh and Bashar al-Hamarneh, and injured Maher following a dispute.
It is reported at that time, the Jordanian authorities allowed the guard to leave Jordan after being interrogated.
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#Jordanian #court #issues #ruling #Israeli #embassy #incident
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
US covertly sponsoring IS, says Russia

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Moscow: The US has been reaching out to armed groups that oppose the Taliban and secretly giving money to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), as per Russia’s Presidential envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, media reports said.
Asked if the US is in contact with the Afghan opposition, Kabulov, in an interview with Russia 24 TV on Friday, said: “Yes, there is such data”, RT reported.
The Americans have been acting this way “because they really want to avenge their shameful military-political defeat in Afghanistan, and in retaliation they do everything so that peace isn’t established in this troubled land”.
“But worst of all is that, in addition to contacts with the armed opposition in Afghanistan, the Anglo-Saxons are covertly sponsoring Islamic State, who are aimed at undermining not only the stability of our Central Asian partners… but also the security of Russia,” Kabulov added.
The US and its allies pulled out of Afghanistan in August 2021 after a two-decade intervention. The chaotic withdrawal, which saw billions of dollars’ worth of American military equipment left behind, was carried out after the Taliban swept through the country and captured the capital, Kabul in a matter of weeks, facing little resistance from the Afghan military which US forces had trained to resist it.
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#covertly #sponsoring #Russia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023
British Sikh trekker sets new polar expedition world record

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London: A British Sikh Army officer and physiotherapist has set a new world record for the longest solo, unsupported, and unassisted polar expedition by a woman.
Captain Harpreet Chandi, known as Polar Preet having already completed a trekking challenge to become the first Indian-origin woman to set the record of a solo unsupported trek to the South Pole, travelled 1,397 km across Antarctica in temperatures as cold as minus 50 degrees Celsius. The previous record was 1,381 km, set by Anja Blacha in 2020.
“It was very cold and windy but I kept my breaks very short so I didn’t get too cold,” Chandi wrote on Thursday in a blog she has been maintaining while on her new polar expedition.
“I didn’t let myself stop earlier though because I wanted to get the miles in,” she said.
However, Chandi is disappointed that she does not have enough to meet her original aim of becoming the first woman to cross Antarctica solo and unsupported.
“I’m pretty gutted that I don’t have the time to complete the crossing. I know that I have done a huge journey, it’s just difficult while I’m on the ice and I know it’s not that far away,” she said.
The 33-year-old from Derby in eastern England, working at a regional rehabilitation unit in Buckinghamshire, has been pulling a sledge with all her kit and battling below freezing temperatures on her new adventure since November 2022.
The University of Derbyshire, which conferred her with an honorary degree, congratulated the trekker for breaking the “record for the longest solo, unsupported, and unassisted polar expedition by any woman in history”.

It was around three years ago when she was learning about Antarctica that she decided she wanted to do a crossing of the continent.
But she did not put in her application into the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), which handles the permissions for such expeditions, immediately because she wanted to build up some experience.
Her application was completed early last year and it has been all about preparing for her new goal after completing Phase 1 with her South Pole expedition in 2021. On her latest mission, she has been listening to voice notes to keep her motivated.
“I listened to childhood memories from my brothers, my mum telling me how excited she was about having a baby girl and how the midwife commented that she had never seen an Asian woman so excited about having a girl. And finally hearing my niece say it’s the most amazing thing she has seen anyone do in her entire life and it’s even more amazing because it’s her phuwa (auntie) doing it. It’s so precious to hear,” she writes on her blog this week.
Chandi has always been keen to push the human body to its limits and sees her adventures as part of this wider mission.
As an “endurance athlete”, she has run marathons and ultra-marathons and, as a British Army officer, completed large scale exercises and deployments in Nepal, Kenya and a United Nations peacekeeping tour of South Sudan.
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#British #Sikh #trekker #sets #polar #expedition #world #record
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 20, 2023